City transit fare hike ‘ridiculous’

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I read the article in the March 20 edition of the Burlington Post on the fare hike planned for May 1.

I have been following this discussion via the Burlington Post while it was a proposed increase.

I have been a user of Burlington’s public transit system since 1986, as I attended a secondary school outside of my zone and therefore was not included in Halton’s school transportation system.

During my ridership, I have witnessed a bus strike that inconvenienced riders and family members, during the coldest part of winter that year. I have also experienced previous fare hikes and realignment of routes as Burlington went from being a small town to a major city.

I have also used both the Toronto transit system, GO transit and the Hamilton system. I do not drive and rely on the public transit systems to get around.

I was very happy when Burlington made the move to create a route that would run along Fairview Street and Plains Road, right into downtown Hamilton, as it was a cheaper and more manageable choice than the GO system. However, since more adjustments were made in September 2012, and again in December 2012, I have pretty much stopped using Burlington public transit and have relied on family members and taxis, which cost more, to get around.

My dismay started in September when it was decided to alter Route 1 to become Route 21 and reroute it behind Burlington Mall. This did not save time and created a lot of confusion for people who thought this bus was going to the downtown terminal.
The next move, which was when I decided it was time to stop using the transit system, was the rerouting of the Fairview bus when the south side of the GO station closed. I am well aware the GO station needs improvements and to be made more accessible to all populations, but this change was again made with no consultation of the people who actually depend on the system. I was riding this route a minimum of twice per week from Burlington to downtown Hamilton. One of the last times I did this, I took the express which only stops at certain places along Plains Road. I boarded the bus at Fairview and Woodview at 11:30 a.m. and I arrived, due to the detour to the north side of the GO station, in Hamilton at York Boulevard and Bay Street at 2 p.m. With the changes, a trip that normally took me 1 hour and 10 minutes, became an almost three-hour trip.

I am appalled that — with the proposed community engagement charter that our city council and Mayor Goldring have been touting — the public who use this essential service were not consulted about the proposed fare hike. This would include the use of Handivan services, which provide a way for our senior and disabled population in Burlington, to have some independence.

Our city council voted in favour of this ridiculous fare hike, which makes our transit system more expensive to ride than Toronto, which has a far more advanced transit system, and the Hamilton system, which has regular buses and has ensured heavier used lines are run more frequently throughout the whole day, not just perceived peak periods.

The fare parity program, which is discontinuing special fares for our seniors and disabled population, is unfair to them. I work with disabled people who are unable to use regular transit and having a special fare system, i.e. Handivan tickets, is much better for them than having to either count out change or tickets. I get the SPLIT pass idea and do agree it is to the advantage of lower income residents, if they are eligible. But do our city councillors and mayor think that all riders/users of our public transit system, who may not be eligible for this service, can afford to pay the amount of the latest increase in fares?

I think they should actually be asking the public who ride the busses regularly for their opinions and taking the feedback into account when they vote.

Maybe it would be a good idea for our mayor and some councillors who supported (the fare hike) to ride the route 21/1 bus during the day. Then they could see the frustration of bus riders who depend on this system to get them to work or school on time, who can’t find a seat either on the way to Hamilton or on the way home, and who are then subjected to 1 to 2 ½ hour rides because the bus driver is being asked to veer off a normal route to accommodate construction and to go into a GO station off Plains Road that barely has any riders getting on or off the bus. Thank you.